This project is seeking support to replace outdated incandescent lighting systems in the museum's primary gallery for special exhibitions. Currently, this gallery has a system from 1968 that is still is use. This team seeks the full replacement of this system, including 165 – 395 fixtures (rather than fixture or bulb conversion only) because:

1) The system is wasteful. Not only are the bulbs inefficient, but they generate heat that contributes to the needs for additional climate control. 2) The system is increasingly impossible to maintain (fixtures and bulbs are no longer available). Older bulbs require exponentially more staff time to maintain and source, time much better spent supporting collections and exhibition projects. Increasingly, time (including that of our student assistants) goes into locating suitable vendors for replacement bulbs that are no longer manufactured. 3) The system presents safety concerns. The fixtures are a half-century old, with worn out internal wiring and plastic connectors. Museums have specific requirements for lighting, because different kinds of objects have different lighting restrictions (e.g., works on paper should be displayed at 50 lux, whereas paintings, sculpture, ceramics, and glass benefit from higher light levels). Thus, controlling lighting remains critical to our work, but when the current system is retrofitted with LED bulbs, it cannot handle dimming without sparking.